[jtespi]

I thought this was the best forum to post about New Mexico's CCS DC Fast Charger infrastructure.
To summarize it briefly, Electrify America (EA) has the entire I-10 and I-40 corridors covered throughout the state. EA also has I-25 north of Albuquerque covered. The two current major non-EA chargers to note are Francis Energy chargers in Clines Corners (I-40 about halfway between ABQ and Santa Rosa) and Carrizozo (60 mi/95 km north of Alamogordo). The Clines Corners chargers are under-specced, only outputting 62.5 amps -- meaning 30 kW is all most cars with a 400 V-class architecture will ever see. [Note, the charger icon in Las Cruces is at two car dealerships, one is a ChargePoint CPE 250 and the other is a BTC Power 50 kW unit. The dealerships aren't open 24/7, so I'm not counting them here.]

In the second photo to the right, nearly all of the wrench icons are planned Francis Energy chargers in Southeast NM with VW settlement money. Unfortunately, all of the NW quadrant of the state (Four Corners region, San Juan County), the Gila region (Grant and Catron counties), and the NE corner of the state (Union County and Clayton) were left out of the plan.
I've been looking at the state's preliminary NEVI plan and public meetings. It looks like they will prioritize the Interstate corridors first and possibly try to de-designate other Alternate Fuel Corridors (US-60, US-70, US-285, and US-380). De-designation is only on the table due to the NEVI program's 600 kW station requirements (4 x 150 kW chargers) every 50 miles being unfeasible for those non-Interstate Alt Fuel Corridors. The state wants the FHWA/USDOT to certify their Interstate corridors completely built out so they can use NEVI funds in more discretionary ways in the rest of the state. Hopefully that also means they will include the NW and NE quadrants of the state.

Currently, the most challenging and biggest gap is I-25 between Las Cruces and Albuquerque. It is around 230 road-miles (370 km) from LC to ABQ. The I-25 gap is also the biggest in the Southwest US along an Interstate corridor. In EA's long term plans are a station for Socorro, NM -- which is 150 miles (240 km) from Las Cruces and 80 miles (130 km) from ABQ. Francis Energy was awarded VW grant money for a station in Elephant Butte (near Truth or Consequences) which is 150 miles from ABQ and 80 miles from LC. However, there has been no progress so far on the DCFC in Elephant Butte nor any other of Francis' planned chargers.

Where else would you like to see DCFCs in New Mexico and has anyone heard of any other plans for more DCFCs on other road corridors in the state?

 

[jefro]

Many of the states are or have been getting VW money. There is also some Federal money that maybe Tesla will convert some. Look at the Tesla supercharges by adding it to your filter to see what might happen if Joe has extra cash.

 

[jtespi]

Big news update: the state of New Mexico installed ChargePoint CPE 250s in Socorro's town square. They beat Francis on the crucial I-25 corridor! 😁 The station is already powered and probably in demo/install mode. It will be formally opened to the public soon. I expect the pricing to be very competitive, $0.30/kWh just like other CPE 250s at state offices in Santa Fe.

EDIT: We were all fooled. The station shown in the KOAT video was just a dummy setup for a photo op with government officials. The final stations still haven't been installed yet in Socorro.

There is also some Federal money that maybe Tesla will convert some. Look at the Tesla superchargers by adding it to your filter to see what might happen if Joe has extra cash.

Tesla has shown historic disregard for SE New Mexico, even though the popular Carlsbad Caverns is located there. A group on Tesla Motor Club had to start a GoFundMe to install AC chargers at McDonald's in Roswell, Artesia, and Carlsbad. Now with a CPE-250 fast charger in Socorro, Tesla's only advantageous Superchargers in NM are in Clayton & Farmington.

 

[MisterJJ]

if Joe has extra cash

LOL

 

[XJ12]

the state of New Mexico installed ChargePoint CPE 250s in Socorro's town square.

Nice. Thanks for sharing. I'm in Las Cruces and this would finally make it possible to drive to Albuquerque.

 

[ZipEV]

Thanks for the post. New Mexico DOT is still accepting feedback about infrastructure plans, so now's the time to compete the survey. The plan will be finalized August 2022.
NMDOT

 

[jtespi]

Thanks for the post. New Mexico DOT is still accepting feedback about infrastructure plans, so now's the time to compete the survey. The plan will be finalized August 2022.
NMDOT

I'd also like to add that if anyone hasn't watched the NMDOT's online public meetings on the NEVI program, I'd encourage you to do so. The question and answer portions at the end of the presentations are particularly enlightening and reveal the department's thinking.

Links to meetings: District 1 (SW NM); District 2 (SE NM); District 3 (ABQ metro); District 4 (NE NM); District 5 (SF area, north-central & NW NM); District 6 (Grants/Gallup area).
Note: The first 4 meetings are on YouTube and the last 2 are on Zoom.

 

[TimSFL]

Currently, the most challenging and biggest gap is I-25 between Las Cruces and Albuquerque. It i

Not much around Las Vegas. I would expect more

 

[jtespi]

Not much around Las Vegas. I would expect more

EA Santa Fe to EA Wagon Mound is only 112 road-miles (180 km). That's easily done in a Bolt EV or other 200+ mile range EV. Santa Fe to Las Vegas is 70 road-miles, so I expect they'll stretch the NEVI requirements and put a station in LV. LV to EA Wagon Mound would then be 42 miles. Then it's 66 miles to Raton for another station.

On the southern part of I-25, here are where I think they'll put the NEVI stations:

• Las Cruces (at University Avenue, junction of I-25 & I-10)
• Hatch [42 miles later]
• T or C Exit 79 [40 mi]
• Socorro [70 mi]
• Belen [44 mi]
• EA Albuquerque (existing) [38 mi]

The distances between T or C and Socorro, Santa Fe and Las Vegas, & Wagon Mound and Raton are the only three where I think NMDOT will seek an exemption to the NEVI program's 50 mile requirement.

 

[Terri]

We are ‘teenage wasteland’ up here in NW New Mexico. Not one single fast DCFC in Farmington (but we have a Tesla charger - go figure). Nothing, not even L2 between Aztec and Bernalillo. So I would definitely like to see at least one DCFC put in along US550 between Bloomfield and Bernalillo (that’s a 155 mile stretch). I can manage ok if the weather is good, but if it’s cold and the wind is blowing, it’s a mail biter to pull into the EA in Albuquerque even after leaving my house at 100%. (Which luckily I don’t have to do very often).
I drive from Aztec to El Paso about 5 times a year, and what a pain to do so with an EV. There is a DCFC ‘in process’ at T or C, but even after calling Francis Energy to inquire about the status, it seems it has been out on the back back burner. The DCFC at Carrizozo is at least faster than L2, but the rate is insane if you have to charge up to make it into El Paso.
I wish I had seen this a few months back and could have commented on the need for charging stations along US550.

 

[ARob]

EA Santa Fe to EA Wagon Mound is only 112 road-miles (180 km). That's easily done in a Bolt EV or other 200+ mile range EV. Santa Fe to Las Vegas is 70 road-miles, so I expect they'll stretch the NEVI requirements and put a station in LV. LV to EA Wagon Mound would then be 42 miles. Then it's 66 miles to Raton for another station.

On the southern part of I-25, here are where I think they'll put the NEVI stations:

• Las Cruces (at University Avenue, junction of I-25 & I-10)
• Hatch [42 miles later]
• T or C Exit 79 [40 mi]
• Socorro [70 mi]
• Belen [44 mi]
• EA Albuquerque (existing) [38 mi]

The distances between T or C and Socorro, Santa Fe and Las Vegas, & Wagon Mound and Raton are the only three where I think NMDOT will seek an exemption to the NEVI program's 50 mile requirement.

CO has noted that many on stretches, 50 miles isn't reasonable given nothing lies in the areas.

In UT, Green River to Salina is about 110 miles with really no logical place to put DCFC too. I have done that in my Bolt, it is not horribly difficult to span this gap in a Bolt, but shorter range EVs will really struggle on this section.

I don't know how these will be handled. I suspect East of the Mississippi, there are few stretches where there is nothing for 50 mile stretches. I get the objective, but putting 4 150kW chargers in some of these remote Western areas will require significant funding to get adequate power to the area. It would seem logical that L2, or lower powered DCFC exceptions might be worth exploring for these desolate areas. Most EVs can handle 100-125 mile gaps, albeit requiring high SOC and thus longer charge times. The short range EVs charge slower anyway, so an exception would seem warranted.

 

[jtespi]

We are ‘teenage wasteland’ up here in NW New Mexico. Not one single fast DCFC in Farmington (but we have a Tesla charger - go figure).

I agree it's bizarre how few DCFCs there are in the Four Corners Region.

I still cannot figure out why Francis Energy is duplicating EA stations in Gallup, Grants, and Tucumcari in their planned network buildout using the VW settlement funds. Those 3 stations should instead be in Farmington, Taos, and Silver City - where there are currently no DCFCs. Their planned station in Des Moines, NM should instead be in Clayton. Clayton is a better location at the major road junction of US-87 & US-56/412.

CO has noted that many on stretches, 50 miles isn't reasonable given nothing lies in the areas.

I don't know how these will be handled. I suspect East of the Mississippi, there are few stretches where there is nothing for 50 mile stretches.

I agree. The 50-mile rule put out by the federal government completely ignores the reality of geography and population settlement west of the Rockies. 50 miles is too short a distance here in the West. Have you seen the final approval letters for the remaining states' NEVI plans?

I cannot believe how strict the USDOT is being with their approval of the NEVI plans. For Wyoming's plan, they denied all but 3 exemptions. One of the exemptions they approved (and the only one pertaining to the 50-mile rule) was provisional for only a year. That was the exemption for I-90 between Gillette and Buffalo which is 70 miles. They should have granted a permanent exemption. 70 miles is just 20 miles over. It's ridiculous to expect a station halfway between those two towns when there isn't even a settlement along the route.

From watching some video public meetings, WYDOT intends to return the money if the federal government doesn't approve their exemptions and let them build out past the Interstates. My understanding is that unless the USDOT certifies I-25, I-80, and I-90 completely built out the state can't use the NEVI program funds outside of those corridors. Wyoming would like to build non-NEVI compliant chargers in smaller towns in the interior of the state. They were thinking DCFCs with 2 ports and a 100 kW max output. They wouldn't be able to unless the Interstate corridors are certified as finished.

I've attached the approval letters for AK and WY to this post along with those state's final NEVI plans. The complete listing of all 50 states' plans and documents can be found at this federal website.

 

[jtespi]

Hey everyone, some new DCFCs have popped up in New Mexico since my last post.

There are still no new Francis Chargers and the crucial I-25 corridor has seen no progress but Casino Apache just outside of Ruidoso, NM has installed 2 ChargePoint CPE-250s. Unfortunately, they aren't in a paired configuration nor are they software unlocked to 62.5 kW -- they're capped at 50 kW. You won't see peak charging rates on those but at least electricity is sold at market rate, only $0.14/kWh. That's the cheapest rate I've seen on a DC fast charger that bills per-kWh.

Nearby in Alamogordo, Desert Sun Motors has installed an ABB HV54 50 kW DCFC. It's at a car dealership, so don't count on 24/7 access. Pricing is supposed to be $1 + $0.40/kWh via EV Connect but there appears to be a glitch/loophole on ChargePoint. It doesn't have a price listed so it's presumably free if you tap your ChargePoint card or phone with app. CP might be a roaming partner with EV Connect so you may still end up getting billed.

In Angel Fire, a Tritum Veefil RT50 charger (branded as Enel X JuicePump) has been installed at the Angel Fire Country Club. Be aware that no one can confirm this is actually active since the person who added the station and the one photo on PlugShare didn't bother to include any further information. [If you ever add a new station on PlugShare, please add more than one photo and include a detailed description.] I can't find the charger in any online app and I have no idea how to activate Enel X DC Fast Chargers. If anyone has more information, please share it below. Tritium Veefil chargers are some of the least user friendly on the market since they don't have an LCD screen.

For closing news, the NMDOT has announced recipients for a $5.1 million EV charging station grant. This money is completely separate from the NEVI Program and thankfully includes many communities that were left out in the Year 1-2 NEVI plans. Crucially, DC fast chargers were announced for Farmington and Cuba which are on the important US-550 corridor. One interesting thing to note is that about 5 of the addresses listed are duplicates of the VW settlement money that went to Francis Energy. Hopefully this means Francis will get more money to put >100 kW chargers in those locations. Currently, they've only put in paltry 60 kW chargers in Carrizozo and Clines Corners.

 

[cwerdna]

CO has noted that many on stretches, 50 miles isn't reasonable given nothing lies in the areas.

In UT, Green River to Salina is about 110 miles with really no logical place to put DCFC too. I have done that in my Bolt, it is not horribly difficult to span this gap in a Bolt, but shorter range EVs will really struggle on this section.

I don't know how these will be handled. I suspect East of the Mississippi, there are few stretches where there is nothing for 50 mile stretches. I get the objective, but putting 4 150kW chargers in some of these remote Western areas will require significant funding to get adequate power to the area. It would seem logical that L2, or lower powered DCFC exceptions might be worth exploring for these desolate areas. Most EVs can handle 100-125 mile gaps, albeit requiring high SOC and thus longer charge times. The short range EVs charge slower anyway, so an exception would seem warranted.

On that note, there are weirdos who are probably too Europe-centric who seem to have a belief the the US will have very rapid uptake of BEVs. This is especially tough outside CA + CARB emission states and very specific strong EV markets.

See my responses to one such weirdo at the below:
Who can catch Tesla ? They seem to be experiencing exponential growth…..

Who can catch Tesla ? They seem to be experiencing exponential growth…..

European and American, and Japanese manufacturers will get slammed by the Chinese. hard. Tesla will keep ticking along with ~20% of the Bev market whilst those companies burn.

teslamotorsclub.com

Who can catch Tesla ? They seem to be experiencing exponential growth…..

No. Yes. In 5 years? What markets/countries are you talking about? Seems like you and Stuart are totally way off on the auto market in terms of sales numbers and ratios. Do you guys live in an echo chamber bubble where everyone you communicate with only wants EVs? I've been driving them...

teslamotorsclub.com

He said at Who can catch Tesla ? They seem to be experiencing exponential growth….. "You seemingly won’t accept that in 5 years few will want ice cars !" yet he wouldn't elaborate. Here's how he responded: Who can catch Tesla ? They seem to be experiencing exponential growth…...

 

[XJ12]

the crucial I-25 corridor has seen no progress

I've had my Bolt over five years now, and finally have a need to drive to Albuquerque this weekend. But alas, I can't drive the Bolt because there's no DCFC infrastructure between the two largest cities in New Mexico.

 

[MisterJJ]

I've had my Bolt over five years now, and finally have a need to drive to Albuquerque this weekend. But alas, I can't drive the Bolt because there's no DCFC infrastructure between the two largest cities in New Mexico.

I checked out NM and WOW, there's a LOT of "Coming Soon" locations. Then I saw this comment: "Pretty crazy how the governor shows up with a fake charging station for a press conference, claims it's opening in a few weeks, and now nothing half a year later".

 

[XJ12]

the governor shows up with a fake charging station for a press conference

Yep. Pretty crazy. Then just think about 1 hour drive south of the second largest city in New Mexico there's the El Paso/Juarez combined population of 2.7 million people. That's the population of Chicago and more people than all of New Mexico. And they don't provide DCFC infrastructure along I-25 connecting these populations to the largest city in New Mexico.

 

[jefro]

I think it's out of this world that you don't have DCFC in Roswell, NM.

Does NM have electricity yet? OHHH just kidding.

 

[ARob]

Any word on when I-25 between ABQ and Las Cruces will get some love?

We are planning a June trip to TX and plan to spend the night with friends in the southern part of LC. But that stretch from ABQ is pretty brutal. Are the L2 in Elephant Butte and Caballo SP viable? I understand Socorro and T or C are expecting some ChargePoint DCFCs, but those projects appear to be eternal vaporware.

 

[XJ12]

Any word on when I-25 between ABQ and Las Cruces will get some love?

nada